It was a weekend complete with myriad emotions, a weekend meant for sending Ohio coach Joe Carbone out with a series win in the final home series of his career.
But archrival Miami spoiled the weekend festivities by taking two of three games in the series. As a result, Ohio (28-27, 16-11 Mid-American Conference) will be seeded fourth in the MAC Tournament.
The high point of the weekend came Friday night, when Tyler Wells hit a walk-off single to give Ohio its only win of the series.
With the game tied at 4-4, Ohio senior Doug Holmes singled and shortstop Ben Otto moved him over with a sacrifice bunt. Wells singled to score Holmes, who earned the winning run, before he was mobbed by teammates on the first-base side of the pitchers mound.
“You grow up thinking about this, especially doing it during a rivalry,” Wells said of his game-winning hit.
But the game was not an easy one to win. The RedHawks (28-27, 12-15 MAC) started quickly again on Friday with a Kevin Bower single past Bobcat second baseman Ian Mezlak to give them a 1-0 lead.
Ohio freshman left fielder Tyler Wells singled to right-center field and advanced on a Jake Madsen groundout. Senior right fielder Jensen Painter brought him in with a single to tie the score.
Ohio starter Jason Moulton then found his groove and set Miami batters down in order in four of the seven innings he completed.
Bobcat catcher Cody Gaertner doubled down the right-field line in the fourth inning and eventually scored on a Mezlak single to give Ohio its first lead of the game.
Miami center fielder Ryan Curl then robbed Painter’s bid to increase the lead by pulling a potential home run back into the field of play.
Miami eventually tied the game on a Max Andresen single that scored right fielder Bryce Redeker.
Carbone brought reliever Brett Barber into a tight situation with men on base. The first batter greeted him with a single to load the bases. Barber uncorked a wild pitch, giving Miami the 3-2 lead.
Ohio answered right away with a Gaertner sacrifice fly to tie the game at 3-3 in the eighth. Third baseman Dan Schmidt brought in Wells to give Ohio the lead 4-3.
A tense ninth inning ensued. Miami’s Ryan Brenner hung with Barber through an 11-pitch duel that ended in a routine ground ball. But Mezlak rushed the throw to first and fired the ball past Madsen and out of play. The RedHawks would go on to tie the game.
That’s when Holmes started the rally and then scored the winning run. Holmes does not play often but was called upon to lead off the ninth.
“Coach has said that we always have to be ready to play because you never know when he is going to put you out there,” Holmes said. “I felt like this year a lot of guys have done a good job of staying focused and being ready when it is their time to shine.”
After Friday’s game ended on a high note, Saturday’s game was summed by starting pitcher Seth Streich’s one-word analysis: disappointment.
Streich gave up four runs in the first two innings en route to a 6-3 Miami victory.
“There were a lot of people here — a lot of alumni; it would have been nice to have a little bit better of a start,” Streich said. “All that matters at the end was that coach had a great career, and I can’t put into words what he has meant to me.”
Back-to-back two-run innings by the RedHawks forced Ohio to play from behind the whole game. The Bobcats could not get a key hit when necessary.
Streich also did not have his best stuff on the mound to keep the game close.
“Seth wasn’t throwing strikes with his fastball. He didn’t have command of the breaking ball,” Carbone said. “(Miami starting pitcher Charles) Zubrod was getting his breaking ball over consistently, and when we got some runners on, he made some pitches.”
nr225008@ohiou.edu
